NOKIA N9: Just Swipe!

Endless
possibilities

The swipe has made our best features even better and easier to use, so you can get straight to the important things.

Staying in touch – familiar yet refined

Keeping you connected to friends, family and your world remains the most important function of a phone. The ways of staying in touch remain familiar, yet they've been refined to work seamlessly together. 

Find out more

Instantly online

See what friends are up to on your favourite social networks and experience the best of the internet with one of the fastest mobile browsers ever. 

Find out more

The only guide you'll ever need

Wherever you’re going, Maps gets you there quickly and on time – with free navigation in 90 countries worldwide. And with the Drive app, in-car navigation has never been this easy. 

Find out more

Discover your creative side

Nokia N9 has the fastest camera on any phone ­– from launch to focus to capture. As great moments come and go in an instant, this means you never miss a shot. 

Find out more

Ready to entertain

Stay entertained wherever you are with music, movies and games. And for the first time ever, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Digital Plus combine to transform audio into a personal surround sound experience like no other. 

Find out more

Stay on top of your life

Organise and sync your schedules, combine your email accounts into one inbox and view docs and attachments on the go – all with a minimum of fuss. 

Wednesday, 3 August 2011

iPad 2: The thing that does everything

To say Apple's iPad 2 is an easy tablet to review is somewhat of an understatement. The device, a follow up to last year's wildly successful (and currently market-defining) iPad, is nearly identical when it comes to software, and though improved, closely related on the hardware side as well. With a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display, the general size and shape of the device has remained the same, and though inside there's a new dual core A5 CPU, more memory, and a pair of new cameras, most of the iPad 2's changes are cosmetic. Still, the previous tablet soared far above most of its competitors when it came to the quality of both the hardware (if not its raw specs) and its software selection -- something Apple still stands head and shoulders over its adversaries on. So this new model, a thinner, sleeker, faster variant of the original may not be breaking lots of new ground, but it's already at the front of the pack. But is the iPad 2 worth an upgrade for those that took the plunge on the first generation? More importantly, does the device have what it takes to bring new owners into the fold? Those questions -- and more -- are all about to be answered in the full Engadget review, so read on! HARDWARE 

The iPad 2 is both all about -- and not about -- the hardware. From an industrial design standpoint, the iPad 2 just seriously raised the bar on sleek, sexy computer hardware. If you're an owner of the original model, you know it was no slouch in the design department, but its latest iteration takes it to a whole other place. The first thing you'll probably notice about the iPad 2 is that it's thin -- unbelievably thin. At its thickest point, the tablet is just 0.34-inches (compared with the first iPad's half an inch of girth). The device is slightly shorter than the previous model (at 9.5-inches tall), but also slightly less wide (just 7.3-inches versus the iPad's 7.47-inches). It looks and feels amazingly sleek when you hold it. As Steve Jobs pointed out at the launch event, the device is thinner than the astoundingly thin iPhone 4 -- quite a feat considering what's packed inside the slate. Of course, it's still not exactly light, weighing in at 1.33 pounds (or 1.34 / 1.35 for the 3G models), just a hair under the original's one and a half pounds.

As with the previous version, the front of the device is all screen, save for a bezel (which appears slightly less broad than the one on the first model), and a home button at the bottom of the display. The iPad 2 does add a camera opposite from that button at the top of the device, but the small dot is barely noticeable. Around back there's the familiar, smooth aluminum of the previous version (it does feel slightly smoother here), a small, dotted speaker grid on the lower left, a camera on the upper left, and depending on what model you get, the 3G antenna along the top back. The volume buttons and mute / rotate switch sit on the back left side of the device, while on the right you'll find the Micro SIM slot (on 3G versions). A standard 30-pin dock connector is along the bottom, while the top reveals a power / sleep button on the upper right side, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left. All pretty standard business for an iPad, but smartly put together on this tiny frame.

The device is available with either a white or black bezel -- we reviewed the white model.

In all, it's an incredibly handsome and svelte package. Pictures don't quite do the iPad 2 justice -- it feels really, really great in your hands. Not only does the construction give it a feeling of heft and permanence, but the thin profile combined with the new, tapered edges make holding the device a real joy. Apple is known for its industrial design, and they didn't just chew scenery here; the iPad 2 is beautifully and thoughtfully crafted.

Much has been made about what is -- and isn't -- inside the new iPad. For starters, Apple has replaced last year's A4 CPU with a new, 1GHz dual core chip it's calling the A5 (surprise surprise). According to Geekbench, there's now 512MB of RAM in the iPad, bringing it up to iPhone 4 standards. That still seems on the low side to us -- a device in this class should probably be sporting 1GB, though we had no memory issues. The screen is identical to the previous model, a 1024 x 768, 9.7-inch IPS display. It still looks good, though we really would have liked to see a bump in resolution -- if not up to the Retina Display's doubled numbers, then something substantial. We don't take issue with the quality of the display as far as color balance or deepness of blacks go, but we would like to see higher pixel density, especially for the book apps.

On the wireless front, you can nab either a WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n) only model, a Verizon 3G version, or an iPad of the AT&T / GSM variety. Bluetooth 2.1+EDR is on board, as is an AGPS chip in the 3G versions. All the models come equipped with an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer, and a new addition: a three-axis gyroscope.

As we said, Apple has relocated the iPad's single speaker to the back of the device. The sound seems clearer if somewhat quieter than the old version, and we can't say that there's a major improvement as far as the placement goes. It does the job, but if you're working in GarageBand (or just listening to music or watching video), you'll want good headphones or decent speakers nearby.

Still, on the specs front the iPad 2 feels very iterative. There's nothing here that is totally mind-blowing, but there's nothing here that makes it feel far off from its nearest competition. We're early enough in the tablet game that a small push in specs like this will last us another season, but Apple needs to deliver bigger guns by the time we see a "3" at the end of the iPad moniker

Performance

Geekbench	Results (higher is better)
Apple iPad 2	721
Apple iPad	442
Apple iPhone 4	375

As we noted above, the iPad is equipped with a 1GHz, dual-core chip called the A5. According to Geekbench, the CPU is clocked at 800MHz. When we first handled the device, it seemed noticeably faster to us, and even after a week with the tablet, it's still zippier than the previous model by a longshot.

The CPU and graphics performance of this tablet felt extremely impressive to us -- the iPad 2 performed excellently no matter what we threw at it, games and graphically taxing apps seemed to have higher frame rates, and even when dealing with CPU intensive programs like GarageBand, it rarely (if ever) seemed to be struggling.

But don't just take our word for it: Geekbench demonstrates quite clearly just what the processor gains on the iPad 2 look like.

Battery life

Not surprisingly, Apple promises major battery life on the iPad 2. Though the device has been physically trimmed down, the company says users can expect the same longevity we witnessed in the previous version. In our testing, this was 100 percent true. For the first few days we used the device we didn't even bother plugging it in. In fact, even during heavy use -- 3G and WiFi on, app testing (heavy work in GarageBand in particular), browsing, news reading, emailing, picture / video taking, and music listening -- we neglected to plug the iPad 2 into a socket for a span of about five days. When we did plug it in, the battery percentage was still only hovering around the low 30s.

	Battery Life
Apple iPad 2	10:26
Apple iPad	9:33
Motorola Xoom	8:20
Dell Streak 7	3:26
Archos 101	7:20
Samsung Galaxy Tab	6:09

In our standard video test (running an MPEG4 video clip on loop, WiFi on, screen at roughly 65 percent brightness), the iPad 2 managed an astonishing 10 hours and 26 minutes of non-stop playback. That beats Apple's own claims, and bests its nearest competitor -- the Xoom -- by about 2 hours. That's another whole movie!

To say we were impressed would be an understatement. The iPad 2 fully delivers when it comes to battery life.

Cameras

Let's just put this out there: the iPad 2 cameras are really pretty bad. They're not unusable, but it's clear that the sensors employed are not top shelf by any measure. If you have a fourth generation iPod touch with cameras, you can expect the same results. In fact, it seems to us that these are the SAME cameras used in the iPod touch -- there's an "HD" lens around back (which means it's roughly a single megapixel shooter), and on the front you've got a lowly VGA cam. Neither one of these produces remotely satisfying results for still shots, and in particular (when compared with something like the Xoom), the back camera just seems utterly second rate. For video duties and FaceTime calls, the cameras are reasonably useful -- but we would never trade a dedicated camera (or at least a smartphone with a 5+ megapixel shooter) for this.

Even with the lower quality sensors, Apple still gets to span the gap between the original iPad and its new competition -- so that means video calling is now on tap. And since this is Apple, we get treated to a FaceTime app, Photo Booth, and the new iMovie (more on those in a moment). At the end of the day, the company is putting its flag in the ground when it comes to tablets with cameras, but it feels like it's done the bare minimum to make it happen. We won't lie: we're disappointed by how low end these cameras feel. We don't expect to be doing photo shoots with a tablet (in fact, we find using a tablet in this manner to be tremendously awkward), but that doesn't mean we want a camera that produces results reminiscent of our RAZR. In short, it feels like the iPad 2 has a serious photon deficiency.

Software

It wouldn't be a new iOS product without an iOS update, and the iPad 2 ushers in iOS 4.3, a minor update which touts a few bells and whistles. Notably, Apple has improved browser performance, added broader AirPlay support, mercifully added an option to toggle your mute switch for rotation lock duties, and (on the iPhone at least) brought Personal Hotspot to GSM devices (but not the iPad 2).

Alongside the iPad update, Apple also introduced two fairly major pieces of software -- GarageBand and iMovie for the iPad. Here's our take on those apps, as well some of the other big additions.

Apple claims big gains in the speed and performance of the new iOS browser thanks to the introduction of the Nitro JavaScript engine to the underlying Mobile Safari software. In our testing, we scored a fairly healthy Sunspider number of 2173.1ms (while Google's V8 returned a score of 338). Nothing to freak out about in comparison to the laptop numbers below -- but compare those digits to the iPhone 4 and original iPad running 4.2. Of course, the Motorola Xoom is neck and neck with the iPad 2 in terms of browser performance, which shows that speed is most certainly not Apple's domain alone.

Sunspider	Results (lower is better)
Apple iPad 2 (iOS 4.3)	2173.1ms
Apple iPad (iOS 4.2.1)	8207.0ms
Apple iPad (iOS 4.3)	3484.7ms
Apple iPhone 4 (iOS 4.2.1)	10291.4ms
Apple iPhone 4 (iOS 4.3)	4052.2ms
Motorola Xoom	2141.8ms
Motorola Atrix 4G	4100.6ms

In general use, we found the browser to be noticeably faster and more responsive than on the previous iPad, which is a good thing considering that the browsing experience still doesn't quite give you a desktop experience. That said, the iPad 2 gets a lot closer to the speed and fluidity you see on your laptop -- and it's obvious Apple is putting time and effort into making this complete.

We still have to take issue with the lack of Flash, however. Though many sites have begun to employ HTML5 for video and interactive elements, there's still loads of content we couldn't view because Apple won't allow Flash on its platform. We're not saying that we think the experience will be killer (though we've seen good Flash performance on a jailbroken iPad), but the option to turn it on and off would really be welcome.

FaceTime / Photo Booth

As you might expect, the FaceTime experience on the iPad isn't wildly different than the experience on an iPhone or OS X computer. Though the layout is different, you're getting basically the same results. As with the phone, you're unable to use the service when not on WiFi, but given that you're dealing with a tablet as opposed to a handset, it seems to make a little more sense.

Results were unsurprising but satisfying with the video calls we placed, but again, those cameras don't produce stunning images -- especially when you're piping video in both directions.

Photo Booth, on the other hand, has gone from a minor sideshow in OS X to a full blown event app on the iPad 2. The device's A5 CPU seems to have little trouble cranking out nine separate, live video previews of the kinds of effects you can do in the app, and when you're in full screen mode, you can tweak the silly-yet-often-psychedelic graphics to your heart's content. It's not something that is wildly useful, but we imagine a lot of people will be walking out of Apple stores with an iPad 2 in hand after playing around with this for a few minutes. It's just kind of cool.

 iPad 2 ini sangat mengkagumkan. Semua orang patut memiliknya kerana ini adalah satu kemodenan yang perlu ada. Harganya sangat berpatutan. paling murah yang ada ialah iPad 2, Wifi 16GB hanya RM 1799 sahaja

Can You Make Money from Home as an Entrepreneur? 10 Ways to Know if You’re Ready

Could you make money from home as an entrepreneur? As you leave behind your kids, your hopes, or your dreams for another day at the office, you catch yourself wondering if it’s possible. As someone who does successfully make money from home and is enjoying the lifestyle I dreamed of, I have come up with 10 ways to know if you’re ready to make the transition and become a successful entrepreneur.

Could you make money from home as an entrepreneur? As you leave behind your kids, your hopes, or your dreams for another day at the office, you catch yourself wondering if it’s possible. When you see work at home moms and entrepreneurs loving the work they do and enjoying the lifestyle they created, you may be contemplating  if you’re ready to make money from home too.

If your situation is similar to mine at all, you may have started out enjoying your career, the status or even the money that would help you and your family reach your personal and financial goals. But instead, the quality time with family, financial security and future you dreamed of seems more distant every day. You know that the possibilities of becoming an entrepreneur and making money from home could be the solution.

You also know that you’ll need a lot more than a sense of disillusionment to become a successful entrepreneur. You’re going to need a solid plan and the ability to follow through on that plan.

As someone who does successfully make money from home and is enjoying the lifestyle I dreamed of, I have come up with 10 ways to know if you’re ready to make the transition and become a successful entrepreneur.

1. You’re a true leader. An innovative leader who can tackle any challenge head-on with a positive mindset is well-positioned to become a successful entrepreneur.

2. You’re committed to your success. Failure is not an option and you are committed to following a plan proven to help you gain success.

3. You want to create financial stability for yourself and your family. You no longer want your income to be dependent on your monthly paycheck, the economy, or corporate decisions beyond your control.

4. You are not enjoying your current quality of life, and long for the freedom to stay home with the kids, travel when you feel like it, or pursue your favorite hobby. As an entrepreneur, you can create the income, the time and the freedom to enjoy the lifestyle you choose.

5. You know you need to gain and sustain a healthier lifestyle. As an entrepreneur, you’ll have the flexibility to make time to care for yourself, get the rest you need, eat healthier meals and exercise.

6. You want to lower your work-related stress and stop worrying about money. When you live the entrepreneurial lifestyle, you have control over your daily routine and can choose how much money you want to earn.

7. You want to genuinely help people and make a difference in their lives.

8. You’ve hit a ceiling in your current career or pay scale, but you know you could accomplish more if the opportunity was available to you.

9. You are committed to personal development and are coachable.  You may not have the knowledge, skills or experience in all areas, and are open to learning best practices that will help you to soar with a spirit of excellence.

10. Most importantly, you have access to a business opportunity with a proven plan that can realistically bring you the results you need.

If the items on the above list resonate with you, you may be ready to embark on your own entrepreneurial journey that will enable you to earn income from home

While the desire for success is key, it is important to remember that you will also need access to a business opportunity with a proven plan for success in any economy.  Direct sales is a great option.    Look for a business that’s as strong a leader as you are to put you on the right path to make money from home.

To discover a legitimate home business opportunity that can offer you give the financial freedom you’ve always dreamed of, I invited you to visit http://www.Prosponsoring.info and fill in the form for information. You’ll receive detailed information and a step by step plan for launching your way to success! Natural health expert and Entrepreneur Rita Canada helps busy Executives, Entrepreneurs and Work at Home moms detox their bodies, lose inches, get in shape, and feel great so they have more energy for their life and business. She also helps those who desire to transition find their way to financial freedom. She previously held several Presidential and Vice Presidential Executive appointments, and is currently a Double Diamond Leader in her direct sales company, a mother and a founding member of a Foundation that benefits children in Africa.

Kate Hudson And Matt Bellamy Named Their Son Bing

Kate Hudson and rocker Matt Bellamy have named their newborn son Bingham.

The Almost Famous star gave birth to the couple's first child on Saturday and now the Muse frontman has tweeted about the new arrival, Bingham Hawn Bellamy.

The proud dad writes, "So happy! Just had a baby boy, Bingham 'Bing' Hawn Bellamy. Born 7Ib 12Oz, on 9th July. Mom and baby are strong and healthy. Mom was a warrior, Bing popped out after 4.5 hours of intense pushing!"

Hudson, the daughter of actress Goldie Hawn, is also mother to seven-year-old son Ryder, from her marriage to rocker Chris Robinson.

Bingham is Bellamy's first child. The couple became engaged in April.

Watch "Victoria Beckham and Kate Hudson Have Their Babies!"

Lady Gaga: Rumor vs. Reality

With headpieces that could take down birds in flight and a blatant disregard for the convention of pants, it's understandable why Lady Gagais the subject of constant speculation.

But some of the lies perpetuated about the pop star are even more outlandish than her outfits. Below, ABCNews.com breaks down what's real and what's merely a rumor when it comes to all things Gaga.

Lady Gaga amputated one of her legs: RUMOR. Sure, she strives for originality, but rocking a peg leg for fashion's sake isn't exactly Gaga's style.

Last week, A Pakistan News reported that Gaga revealed her amputation "whilst hopping around" MTV's studio: "This is the latest fashion I'm starting and you can see that I'm a world leader when it comes to wacky and weird s**t," the website A Pakistan News quoted Gaga as saying. "Next month after I recover from the surgery I hope to have the other leg amputated or maybe my arm, hmm ... which one should I amputate next?"

A doctored photo of Gaga sporting a wooden leg, supposedly taken from the video set for her latest single "Alejandro," helped fuel the frenzy to determine if she really went under the knife. But her publicist confirmed only the story had no legs: "It's not true," he said in a statement to E! News.

In case there was any doubt about her ability to stand upright, Gaga rocked the stage at the 2010 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala Monday night, both legs fully intact.

Lady Gaga doesn't think pop stars should eat: REALITY. Indeed, in 2009, Gaga spelled it out to New York Magazine: "Pop stars should not eat." Considering her recent spate of passing out on stage during performances, the 5-foot-2, 100 pound sensation might want to rethink her mantra.

Lady Gaga is a hermaphrodite: RUMOR. This tale worked its way around the Web in August of 2009, after an up-skirt photo taken from video shot at England's Glastonbury festival revealed a bulge between Gaga's legs. Bossip.comclaimed that Gaga said, "It's not something that I'm ashamed of, just isn't something that I go around telling everyone. Yes. I have both male and female genitalia, but I consider myself a female. It's just a little bit of a penis and really doesn't interfere much with my life."

ABCNews.com ran the report by Gaga's manager. His reply: "This is completely ridiculous." Gaga further hacked at the hermaphrodite rumor with her "Telephone" video, shimmying around a jail cell in a barely-there thong and prompting one prison guard to whisper to another, "I told you she didn't have a d**k."

Lady Gaga is bisexual: REALITY. Fans surmised as much from her music videos, in which she gyrates against fine looking specimens of both genders, but for those still wondering, Gaga cleared up any confusion about her sexuality in 2009. "I do like women ... I've certainly had sexual relationships with women," she told ABC's Barbara Walters. Gaga added that "Poker Face" reflects her fancy for females: "That's really what the song was all about -- why, when I was with my boyfriend, was I fantasizing about women?"

Britney Spears Sang Lady Gaga's "Telephone" Before Gaga Herself: JURY'S OUT. Last weekend, iLeaks.com released a purportedly previously-unheard recording of Spears singing Gaga's hit song. According to PerezHilton.com, Gaga wrote the song for Spears back when she was known as songwriter Stefani Germanotta, long before recording it with Beyonce Knowles.

Heavy on auto-tune and breathy vocals, the track sounds like something that might come out of Spears' mouth. But on Sunday, Spears fan site WorldOfBritney.com tweeted that "there was almost no auto tune in the actual song" and claimed the version currently making the rounds on the Internet wasn't actually recorded by that other blond pop behemoth. Representatives from both camps did not immediately respond to ABCNews.com's requests for comment.

Royal honeymooners' 'erotic' Seychelles souvenir

The recently married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were presented with an unusual souvenir by the Seychelles government after their honeymoon to the country - a rare and mysterious coconut famed for its erotic shape.

The forest groans, squeaks and rattles.

Even a light breeze causes the giant fronds of the coco-de-mer trees to rub against one another with a sound like the creaking rigging of an old wooden schooner.

Underfoot there is the loud crunching of huge dead leaves.

With the outer husk removed, the coconut closely resembles a female human bottom

Here in the Vallee de Mai, on Praslin, the Seychelles' second largest island, the dominant plant is the coco-de-mer palm tree.

I have visited the Vallee de Mai many times in the past 20 years, but each time I go I learn something new.

This time I am accompanied by Dr Christopher Kaiser-Bunbury, an ecologist who studies the networks of life supported by the palms.

"There's nowhere on earth like the Vallee de Mai," he enthused, as we stepped through the thick dry leaf litter.

"All this dead matter prevents any other plants taking root and competing with the cocos-de-mer.

"Look how the giant leaves blot out the sky above. They starve all the other plants of light too. It's almost like they have a strategy."

The Vallee de Mai is probably the most visited tourist spot in the Seychelles.

People flock here to see the coco-de-mer, partly because it is the biggest seed in the world - a true botanical curiosity - and partly because it is, well, best described as a rude shape.

Aphrodisiac

On the tree, the coconut is a giant green orb, but inside, with the outer husk removed, it closely resembles a female human bottom.

The male trees grow enormous catkins with hundreds of yellow flowers

Not surprisingly, coco-de-mer nuts sell for high prices and you need an export permit to take them out of the Seychelles.

The erotic connotations of the coco-de-mer are obvious whether or not you are a royal honeymooner.

In China, the meat of the nut is taken as an aphrodisiac.

And as if the nut's rotund charms were not enough, the trees themselves are clearly male and female.

While the female trees bear the nuts - which grow for about seven years before they fall - the male trees grow enormous catkins, giant phallus shaped tubes studded with hundreds of delicate yellow flowers that give off a musky odour.

In Seychelles creole, the fruit is called "coco fesse" which crudely translates as "bum nut".

For Chris Kaiser-Bunbury, the charms of the coco-de-mer go well beyond schoolboy humour.

"What the tourists often don't appreciate," he says as we stand surrounded by the towering palms, "is how many other unique species live here, supported by these amazing trees".

A Seychelles legend says that during a full moon the coco-de-mer trees walk around the forest in order to mate

He shows me giant white slugs crawling along the smooth stems of the leaves, fat brown coco-de-mer snails that sit on the tree trunks, and high up in the palm crowns, he spots several bright green geckos that feed off the tree's nectar and flowers.

And then, so well camouflaged that I struggle to identify it as an animal at all, we spot a giant bronze gecko found only on the male trees.

Several of these creatures, including a breed of fruit fly that lives on the rotting husks of the coco-de-mer, are found nowhere else in the world but here in the Vallee de Mai.

Air of mystery

The coco-de-mer remains mysterious.

Female coco-de-mer trees bear the largest seed in the plant kingdom

No-one knows whether the palms are pollinated by the wind, or by an insect or even indeed by a gecko.

Their lifespan is unknown, some say 500 years, or more.

And why are they found nowhere else on earth?

The granitic islands of Seychelles are known for their lush green slopes.

But the Vallee de Mai is a dry forest, and the leaf litter formed by the dead coco-de-mer leaves is a tinder box.

The Seychelles Islands Foundation which looks after the Vallee has cut a series of fire-breaks along the hillsides.

Part of the reason it is so dry is that the palms have evolved their giant leaves to capture as much as 98% of any rain that falls.

The leaves funnel the water straight down towards the base of the palm, ensuring that no other plants benefit.

"Most plants try to disperse their seeds away from the 'parent'," Chris Kaiser-Bunbury told me.

"But it seems that coco-de-mer nuts tend to germinate naturally very close to the mother tree.

"That's because she's found an ideal spot for growing, and the offspring will have a higher survival rate if they don't stray too far."

And indeed, with the nuts weighing 50lb (23kg) or more, there is no way for the wind or animals to disperse them anyway.

A Seychelles legend says that during a full moon the coco-de-mer trees walk around the forest in order to mate.

That is how they produce their erotically shaped "love nuts".

Standing under the dense, green canopy, with the lilting cry of the black parrot echoing through the trees, it does seem like a place where stranger things have happened.

How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent

BBC Radio 4: 
A 30-minute programme on Saturdays, 1130.
Listen online or Download the podcast

BBC World Service: 
Hear daily 10-minute editions Monday to Friday, repeated through the day, also available to listen online.

Read more or explore the archive at the programme website .